Larger Tomatoes With Real Taste - Page 3

COgarden · February 12, 2006

"Pappy Dunkel"... its got a good ring to it.

Quote:

The world needs good news but it's rarely reported.

That is sooo true...

I live in a suburb of Denver. My experience here would lead me to believe that there are no Pappys, there are no "don06"s. I've never met a "cottonpicker" or a "mantis", a "warped", a "bully", or a "raymondo". I've met my neighbors and, unfortunately I'm not seeing any of you.

Online, however, you are all my neighbors. Why can't one of you buy the house to the south of me? That way, I know you wouldn't plant a big ole tree to block my sunshine?!

Kurt

TomatoDon · February 12, 2006

OK, Fusion. Guess that puts it to the point! I had doubts about those. Thanks for the input. Maybe I should scratch two from the list and eliminate a bed.

Don

Goober says Hey.

cottonpicker · February 12, 2006

COgarden... Kinda reminds me of a "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" right here in Tomatoville. For the benefit of our "International friends", " Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" was a national TV program for youngsters here in the U.S. that emphasized being good neighbors.]

COgarden · February 12, 2006

Cottonpicker, a funny image, a little red trolly car running through tomato patch after tomato patch...

Oops, forgot to change into my gardening shoes!

Kurt

loodean · February 12, 2006

I'd like to suggest that tomato taste may have a lot to do with our location. I was reminded of this when I was at a seminar about organic food with Rick Bayless. He told of trying to get his growers to provide his Chicago restaurants with Zapotec Pleated, but that all of them tasted horrible, yet the ones he'd eaten in Mexico were fantastic. He concluded that location and climate were maybe the primary inputs into taste. I wanted to stand up and yell "Thank you, I thought it was me!" I have grown dozens of all the large, supposedly great tasting varieties, but only a few really live up to that description. So far on the varieties listed above, only Cuostralee has been both large and great tasting. It was fantastic in 2003, but wasn't all that great last year. 2003 was very droughty, but last year was wet.

And Kurt, although I have a market garden in Minnesota during the growing season, I spend the winter's at my daughter's house in Northeast Denver, so were twice over neighbors!.

**carolyn137** · February 12, 2006

Fusion,

You're one of the first who agrees with me about Mexico and not being that good, about which I've posted same before, at GW, and everyone else having just gotten it from TGS as a new intro loved it.

Kurt, I lived in Denver for many years while I was teaching at the Med School and lived at 1629 Locust, just one block south of the 17th Ave. Parkway and parallel to Monaco, and I know Littleton.

I don't wanna buy the house to the south of you, I want to go back to my nice brick ranch type house with the big back yard on Locust where I grew, get this, ALL hybrids back when I was there.

There are alleyways that intersect the blocks there, and one day when I was walking one near me I saw these tomato vines spilling out into the alley and there was the gardener in the back yard. He was the Italian father of the woman who with her husband lived there. The big problem was that he didn't speak English and I didn't speak Italian, and only once was his daughter there to help translate. And it was that Fall that I moved back East so I never even got to taste the fruits from his vines let alone snitch some seeds.

Carolyn

Dr_Redwine · February 12, 2006

"Delicious is in the same boat with stump water, dirt from under the floor of an abandoned house, and yellow snow. All are things I would never dream of ingesting."

Tell us how you really feel!

It's good to see some of my current planned varieties on Bully's table. I have no idea what is good (or not) seeing how I'm just getting started. Brandywine is the only heirloom I have ever grown and tasted. It was very good to me.

My own opinions about others begin this year. :wink:
DrR

TomatoDon · February 12, 2006

Looks like Mexico and Delicious are on the way off the list. But dang, they sure sounded good in the beginning.

Was so delighted to see all the follow-ups mentioning Pappy. Very colorful character. His wife was Mimi, who was my mother's best friend. Pappy and Mimi. Daughters were Muff and Mell. Nieces were Toots and Chip. Then there was Penny and Nichols. lol

In the heat of summer Pappy would take an old fashioned bottled coke, room temperature, and snap off the bottle cap and drink it warm in one big swallow. Burp. And boy, did he grow the tomatoes. It was like walking in a jungle out there. No telling how many hundreds he gave away each year. I'm sure they were all Better Boy. That's about the only thing people grew here.

Yes, the world needs more Pappy's, but they are out there in the sidelights. Gotta have em. Gotta love em.

Don

Goober says Hey.

Mantis · February 12, 2006

Thankyou for your concise thoughts on those two Fusion. I was considering growing Mexico next season, but with an apprasal like that, I think not LOL.

**coronabarb** · February 12, 2006

I think we need to plan a road trip to bully's this summer to help him eat all those humongous tomatoes. Mrs bully wouldn't mind if we all just showed up, would she?

"I've met my neighbors and, unfortunately I'm not seeing any of you. Online, however, you are all my neighbors."

Kurt, you need to try to get to a tomato tasting this summer, even if you have to travel a bit. I flew from So Cal to Nor Cal just to go to the NORCATT and meet some great tomato people (the fact that my sister lived just a few blocks from the park where it was held had nothing to do with it :wink: )

I also attended one in So Cal and met more great tomato people. It's so much fun to actually MEET these wonderful people in person.

Back On Topic...I don't understand why I never see Aunt Ginny's Purple on peoples' tomato lists. It has always been the best tasting tomato in my garden. Earl's Faux was real close, though. It gets a bit over a pound for me. Maybe it only shows it's true colors (flavors) in So. California.

**carolyn137** · February 12, 2006

Barb, I agree with you as to the excellence of Aunt Ginny's Purple. A nice indet PL large pink that has always done well for me too.

Again, so many folks concentrate on what others are growing and so many times it's newer ones that get folks all excited. But I've said time after time that there are so very many of the older ones, and AGP isn't really an older one, that folks just don't know them.

What's interesting about AGP is that it was offered just one year in an SSE Yearbook and had Bill Minkey not seen it and requested seeds we never would have it today.

Carolyn

TomatoDon · February 12, 2006

Maybe now I should add Aker's West Virginia and Aunt Ginny's Purple. These seem to be top favorites as well, and their names keep coming up over and over again.

Don

Goober says Hey.

**nctomatoman** · February 12, 2006

don, you are now victim to various and mixed opinion! For example, Carolyn and Fusion slammed Mexico - it did really well for me last year - probably hit nearly 8 on the flavor scale, with great size, good texture, and good disease tolerance. A few really like Aunt Ginny's Purple - which was a complete failure for me. The point - beware of getting overly influeced by ANY of us - all of us started somewhere and our knowledge grows each season. Start somewhere, keep good notes and enjoy the journey! We each have our own tastes. Our gardens are either kind or unkind to various varieties. The particular weather can have an effect. There is no substitution for personal experience!

Catntree · February 12, 2006

For some reason AGP has been hard to acquire. The first seeds I got wouldn't germinate. I've since gotten another batch of seeds and hope to have better luck. AGP is top 5 to try. I can't wait!!!

Fusion_power · February 12, 2006

It was Delicious that I was slamming so hard. Mexico was just too soft for my personal taste. It rated about the same as German Johnson.

Cat,

If you don't get germination, send me a msg. I have some good seed of Aung Ginny's Purple. Its a good tomato that rated an 8.5 in 2002.

Fusion

February 12, 2006	#32
TomatoDon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MS Posts: 1,523	OK, Fusion. Guess that puts it to the point! I had doubts about those. Thanks for the input. Maybe I should scratch two from the list and eliminate a bed. Don Goober says Hey. __________________ Zone 7B, N. MS

February 12, 2006	#33
cottonpicker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SE PA..near Valley Forge Posts: 839	COgarden... Kinda reminds me of a "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" right here in Tomatoville. For the benefit of our "International friends", " Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" was a national TV program for youngsters here in the U.S. that emphasized being good neighbors.] __________________ "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause". Victor Hugo

February 12, 2006	#37
Dr_Redwine Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pike Road, AL Posts: 111	Come On Fusion... "Delicious is in the same boat with stump water, dirt from under the floor of an abandoned house, and yellow snow. All are things I would never dream of ingesting." Tell us how you really feel! It's good to see some of my current planned varieties on Bully's table. I have no idea what is good (or not) seeing how I'm just getting started. Brandywine is the only heirloom I have ever grown and tasted. It was very good to me. My own opinions about others begin this year. :wink: DrR

February 12, 2006	#38
TomatoDon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MS Posts: 1,523	Looks like Mexico and Delicious are on the way off the list. But dang, they sure sounded good in the beginning. Was so delighted to see all the follow-ups mentioning Pappy. Very colorful character. His wife was Mimi, who was my mother's best friend. Pappy and Mimi. Daughters were Muff and Mell. Nieces were Toots and Chip. Then there was Penny and Nichols. lol In the heat of summer Pappy would take an old fashioned bottled coke, room temperature, and snap off the bottle cap and drink it warm in one big swallow. Burp. And boy, did he grow the tomatoes. It was like walking in a jungle out there. No telling how many hundreds he gave away each year. I'm sure they were all Better Boy. That's about the only thing people grew here. Yes, the world needs more Pappy's, but they are out there in the sidelights. Gotta have em. Gotta love em. Don Goober says Hey. __________________ Zone 7B, N. MS

February 12, 2006	#40
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	I think we need to plan a road trip to bully's this summer to help him eat all those humongous tomatoes. Mrs bully wouldn't mind if we all just showed up, would she? "I've met my neighbors and, unfortunately I'm not seeing any of you. Online, however, you are all my neighbors." Kurt, you need to try to get to a tomato tasting this summer, even if you have to travel a bit. I flew from So Cal to Nor Cal just to go to the NORCATT and meet some great tomato people (the fact that my sister lived just a few blocks from the park where it was held had nothing to do with it :wink: ) I also attended one in So Cal and met more great tomato people. It's so much fun to actually MEET these wonderful people in person. Back On Topic...I don't understand why I never see Aunt Ginny's Purple on peoples' tomato lists. It has always been the best tasting tomato in my garden. Earl's Faux was real close, though. It gets a bit over a pound for me. Maybe it only shows it's true colors (flavors) in So. California. __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

February 12, 2006	#34
COgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: CO Zone 5 Posts: 97	Cottonpicker, a funny image, a little red trolly car running through tomato patch after tomato patch... Oops, forgot to change into my gardening shoes! Kurt

February 12, 2006	#35
loodean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2	I'd like to suggest that tomato taste may have a lot to do with our location. I was reminded of this when I was at a seminar about organic food with Rick Bayless. He told of trying to get his growers to provide his Chicago restaurants with Zapotec Pleated, but that all of them tasted horrible, yet the ones he'd eaten in Mexico were fantastic. He concluded that location and climate were maybe the primary inputs into taste. I wanted to stand up and yell "Thank you, I thought it was me!" I have grown dozens of all the large, supposedly great tasting varieties, but only a few really live up to that description. So far on the varieties listed above, only Cuostralee has been both large and great tasting. It was fantastic in 2003, but wasn't all that great last year. 2003 was very droughty, but last year was wet. And Kurt, although I have a market garden in Minnesota during the growing season, I spend the winter's at my daughter's house in Northeast Denver, so were twice over neighbors!.

February 12, 2006	#36
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Fusion, You're one of the first who agrees with me about Mexico and not being that good, about which I've posted same before, at GW, and everyone else having just gotten it from TGS as a new intro loved it. Kurt, I lived in Denver for many years while I was teaching at the Med School and lived at 1629 Locust, just one block south of the 17th Ave. Parkway and parallel to Monaco, and I know Littleton. I don't wanna buy the house to the south of you, I want to go back to my nice brick ranch type house with the big back yard on Locust where I grew, get this, ALL hybrids back when I was there. There are alleyways that intersect the blocks there, and one day when I was walking one near me I saw these tomato vines spilling out into the alley and there was the gardener in the back yard. He was the Italian father of the woman who with her husband lived there. The big problem was that he didn't speak English and I didn't speak Italian, and only once was his daughter there to help translate. And it was that Fall that I moved back East so I never even got to taste the fruits from his vines let alone snitch some seeds. Carolyn

February 12, 2006	#39
Mantis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oz Posts: 1,241	Thankyou for your concise thoughts on those two Fusion. I was considering growing Mexico next season, but with an apprasal like that, I think not LOL.

February 12, 2006	#43
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	don, you are now victim to various and mixed opinion! For example, Carolyn and Fusion slammed Mexico - it did really well for me last year - probably hit nearly 8 on the flavor scale, with great size, good texture, and good disease tolerance. A few really like Aunt Ginny's Purple - which was a complete failure for me. The point - beware of getting overly influeced by ANY of us - all of us started somewhere and our knowledge grows each season. Start somewhere, keep good notes and enjoy the journey! We each have our own tastes. Our gardens are either kind or unkind to various varieties. The particular weather can have an effect. There is no substitution for personal experience! __________________ Craig

February 12, 2006	#44
Catntree Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Maine Posts: 177	For some reason AGP has been hard to acquire. The first seeds I got wouldn't germinate. I've since gotten another batch of seeds and hope to have better luck. AGP is top 5 to try. I can't wait!!! __________________ Zone 4/5

February 12, 2006	#45
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	It was Delicious that I was slamming so hard. Mexico was just too soft for my personal taste. It rated about the same as German Johnson. Cat, If you don't get germination, send me a msg. I have some good seed of Aung Ginny's Purple. Its a good tomato that rated an 8.5 in 2002. Fusion